A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing
when He sent a gentle breeze
and brought a lovely butterfly
to set my heart at ease.
The happiness of your friendship
and the gentleness of your words
have touched my life in special ways
and now I feel assured.
Thank you for your loyalty
and for reading everyday.
I only hope you find things
to make a happy day.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Just Starting to Grow

I realize that the growth you see are leaves, but the buds are way down and can't be seen from my picture.

I have always loved amaryllis plants. I have tried to get them to rebloom, but it has never worked out for me. Last year my daughter said that hers had bloomed again. Not to be outsmarted by my daughter, I set my mind to figuring out how to do it. She does nothing much to get hers to bloom again, but I decided to follow the instructions on the internet. Here is some info on how to accomplish this.

Care After BloomNow that your amaryllis flowers have come and gone you will need to change the care routine in order to ensure new blooms next year. This is an easy process so don't send that plant directly to the compost heap. In fact if you save your plant it will be larger next year.The first step after blooming is to provide the plant with a sunny spot (as outlined above), continue watering whenever the surface soil dries, and fertilize twice a month.In spring, when temperatures rise and the danger of frost is past, place the pot outside in an area with partial shade. Full sun will kill the plant. I had mine in the shady area of my garden, but I put it in a full sun location later in the summer. If you live in a warm climate you will not need to wait until springtime to put the plant outside. Resume the previous care schedule but with the plant outdoors instead of in. By summer's end the amaryllis leaves will begin to yellow and eventually die back. When this happens, remove the dead foliage with a pair of pruning shears and slowly reduce the amount of water by watering less often. This will prepare the plant for a rest period. If the foliage hasn't begun to wilt by September begin reducing the amount of water and this will prompt it to die back.As the cool weather of fall approaches bring the pot back inside, but this time place the pot in a dark location (I put it in the basement) and discontinue the regular feeding and watering schedule for six to eight weeks.( I marked it on the calendar) The temperature in this spot should be a cool 45 degrees F. Leave any green or yellowing foliage on the plant at this time. It shouldn't be cut off until it dies back completely.After the rest or dormancy period remove any remaining dead foliage. At this time either repot the plant or continue growth in the same soil. ( I was told not to repot...I added some new soil around the bulb )Your bulb may have tiny bulbs growing off the main bulb at this time. You can remove these tiny bulbs and pot them in a new pot to grow a new generation of amaryllis plants or you can also leave them to grow off of the mother bulb until they mature. Water the bulb (or new immature bulbs) once and place in a warm sunny location. Wait two or three weeks until growth sets in and continue the cycle again for another year. Don't give up on your plant if it doesn't bloom this year. Starting from a dry bulb is a rigorous process for a plant and it may need until next year to gain back its resources. However, as time goes on your amaryllis will not only continue to blossom year after year, but it will produce new amaryllis bulbs for you to do with as you please.OK...that being said...I did it all. My bulb started to show signs of growth after the long wait. I brought it up from the basement and put it in a partly sunny window and started the watering process. Called my daughter and asked how hers was doing...her cat knocked the plant down and broke the pot. She decided since it was a mess, to experiment, and put the bulb in some water...like you do when you force bulbs like hyacinths. I have kept up with the daily checking on this bulb and lo and behold I think that i have two flower buds coming up way down in the dirt. I was so excited...my hubby said, "Are you OK?" :) I really don't care that I didn't have this beautiful flower for Christmas...a flower any time of the year is joyful to me.

Balisha

I have an addition today....My little 5 yr. old gardening friend from next door came over yesterday afternoon. She knocked at the door....Hubby answered..she said that she just wanted to say "Hello" She started down the walk...saying no more. She was all bundled up in her pink wool hat, pink coat and boots. Her little pink backpack was on her back. (she had just got off the school bus) She turned around and said, "6 more weeks of winter you two...that old groundhog saw his shadow." Oh that Audra!